Lockdown can be an extremely frustrating time for most fitness fanatics, not least for those who play an outdoor sport or just enjoy training outside.

If strength training in a commercial gym is your bag, you can still get the job done to an extent. A single squat rack and some dumbbells should suffice in that case.

What if you’re a runner, swimmer, footballer or any other outdoor sport enthusiast? Right now, you may feel completely hamstrung.

But – where there’s a problem, there’s a solution too. Let’s focus on three key areas: space, equipment and training variable.

Space

Whether you want to be the next Mr. Olympia, a gymnast or a faster marathon runner, training during lockdown has to be a matter of maximising the space you have available.

Some people have gardens, others don’t – just make the most of what you’ve got.

We’ve all seen stories of particularly motivated people running a marathon in their flat or garden, this is an extreme example, but if you do a lot of outdoor training you could consider your home space as another ‘course’ to navigate.

Just be prepared to occasionally stub your toe on the coffee table.

Equipment

You need to be realistic, to an extent. If you play a sport such as football, rugby or swimming, accept that your competition is off the cards until it’s safe to resume.

That doesn’t mean you should let your fitness take the back seat, though.

Certain pieces of gym equipment, such as dumbbells, will allow you to continue working on specific movement patterns vital for your sport. Or if you just want to stay in shape, they offer a workout where space may be minimal.

Granted, the best method for becoming a faster runner is to do more running. But a runner will also benefit from developing stronger calves, glutes and hamstrings. These areas can be worked with minimal equipment such as resistance bands, kettlebells and dumbbells.

For example, Olympic swimmer Adam Peaty has been spending most of his time off by hopping on the exercise bike. The mechanics of cycling may not boost Peaty’s swimming stroke, but the cardiovascular endurance work he’s doing will.

Plus, he’s raised a whopping amount of cash for charity, at a time when we should be prioritising the health of others over our own.

Training variables

Be realistic and adaptable. This will make you realise you may need to manipulate your rep ranges, times and distances. You may not have the patience to run a full 26 mile marathon on your apartment balcony.

So instead of continuing to look for low-intensity, steady state answers, you might want to focus more on HIIT training.

Combining a couple of bodyweight exercises back-to-back into a wider workout with limited rest periods may not simulate a cross country run, but it will still develop extremely useful traits such as an improved VO2 max.

Similarly, those engaged in strength sports such as strongman won’t be able to simulate going head-to-head in an overhead press competition. But you can still work the muscle with banded press-ups, for example, and focussing more on volume and overall reps completed.

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Tags: Misc > Lifestyle